March 2009 Archive for Machinery Journal

The Tractor Chasers are on the trail of John Deere engineers working on the new 8RT tractor. They’ve gotten a quick glimpse of what’s going to be new from the company as they officially unveil the tractors later this summer.

They've revealed that John Deere will be releasing a new series of tracked tractors in their 8030 Series that will feature a new suspension system.

The effort to help protect the flooded areas in the Red River Valley is a massive effort. North Dakota-based Bobcat is helping to protect the area and has donated more than two dozen machines and 40 volunteer machinery operators to help build the floodwall in Fargo.

Two of the companies factories are located in the effected area–in the towns of Gwinner and Bismarck. Employees are offering assistance, and overall the company is trying to accelerate the efforts of the National Guard.

By this afternoon, the river is expected to reach record levels of two feet above the record set almost 100 years ago.

The contest ran from August to November 2008 and was open to customers who owned and currently operated a small Internal Combustion (IC) cushion tire Mitsubishi forklift truck, with a capacity range of 2,000 lbs – 6,500 lbs.

Prescher Willette Seeds in Delavan, Minn., was founded in 1933 and raises, cleans, packs and ships more than 100,000 bags of soybeans on their 3,500 acre farm each year. With the title of longest-running forklift the company won a brand new FGC25N Mitsubishi forklift truck. This third machine will join two other forklift trucks (both are more than 20 years old) that stay especially busy during the spring and fall seasons.

Actually, I am not surprised that this forklift truck was found on a farming operation. There are so many different types of machines that are used all around a farmstead that farm equipment demand is diverse.

Attendees at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show got a first look at this modern-equipped, retro-styled tractor. The original Ford 8N was manufactured from 1947 to 1952, and by its last year of production, more than a half of a million were made.

The new generation of tractor definitely looks like its predecessor as it carries over the gray sheet metal, red belly, vertical fins, and long front nose. As for the retro-style hood, the designers took the signature headlights from the original 8N and made them an integral part of the new hood design. This time around New Holland has made a vintage-looking tractor high-tech.

The New Holland Boomer 8N is geared with a continuously variable transmission and outfitted with a four-cylinder 50 hp engine. It boasts a 2,800 lb. 3-point lift capacity and can be paired with attachments such as a backhoe and loader. The operator will also notice an updated control dash, which was modeled after those seen on yachts. The newest 8N also features power steering and a telescoping steering wheel.

This past week I was visiting my brother in east Texas and saw a completely restored 8N. It made me wonder what original 8N fans think of this reincarnation?